It's What Inside That Counts
by Aura24
Summary: Late Valentine's Story. Spyro falls in love with the new dragoness, Cynder. However, the black dragoness doesn't love him back. Will Spyro find a way to completely win Cynder's heart or will he become heartbroken?


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It's What Inside that Counts

Within the Dragon Temple, in the middle of the day, a young purple dragon, Spyro, was sitting at the end of a hallway, relaxing, as he stood a few feet away from his mentor, Ignitus. The great Fire Guardian himself was laying fully on the floor, resting his old bones.

Spyro smiled to his sleeping mentor and continued to look around at the temple, until he heard the faint footseps of a dragon coming nearby. As the purple dragon looked around for the source of the footsteps, he faced towards the other end of the hallway, tilting his head slightly as he saw a small dragonlike figure about to emerge.

Curious and wide awake, Ignitus turned his head and gazed his eyes to where Spyro was looking to.

Slowly appearing from one of the hallways, was a small, young dragoness just about Spyro's size with shiny gray-black scales that are said to almost gleam, along with a red scaley belly. She has six horns on her head: two short ones at the bottom of her head next to her neck, another two short ones on the sides of her head, and finally, two longer horns on top of her head. Her eyes were mysterious misty-gray and she has a snout that's a lot thinner than her head. Her wings come out of her shoulders, starting out thin and widening greatly at the first joint andare of moderate length for her size as a spike can be seen at the first joint of her wings, curving inwards. Her tail is long in length with a thick leaf-shaped bony blade on the end. On her forehead is an eerie symbol of a large triangle, with two triangles below that, opposite each other, and iron jewelry was wrapped around her neck, front ankles, and on the middle of her tail.

Instantly, Spyro's heart started thumping rhythmically after gazing his eyes upon the black dragoness known as Cynder. Her mysterious green eyes, her smooth black scales and her personality; they definitely were beautiful all at once.

Cynder stared at Spyro for a moment, then turned her head away and walked down another hallway as if showing no interest in the purple dragon.

Spyro silently watched Cynder disappear down the hall and sighed to himself. "I need to get her to notice me." He muttered, then he remembered the iron jewelry Cynder had around her neck, front ankles, and tail, "Maybe I should wear some armor." With that said, the purple dragon got up and scurried towards Ignitus, running right past of the great Fire Guardian and ran into the Armory to find some armor that matches his size...

_Minutes later..._

Spyro, now wearing green and gold armor on his head, front ankles, and back, was sitting at the end of the hallway, a few feet away from Ignitus. He was waiting for the right moment for Cynder to walk by. Seconds later, as he expected, the black dragoness herself emerged from another hallway and caught sight of Spyro standing nearby.

Cynder turned to Spyro again, and this time, she looked at his shiny green and gold armor shimmering in the sunlight. She smiled lightly to him, but then noticed the patches of dirt that was clinging on Spyro's scales. The black dragoness narrowed her eyes a little at the dirt Spyro had on him; her black scales were pretty clean compared to his. She then scoffed to herself and trotted away, still not interested in Spyro.

Spyro lowered his head slightly as he watched Cynder walk away. He then turned to Ignitus and walked towards him, muttering to his mentor, "I don't understand. I thought Cynder was going to like me if I wear some armor. Am I missing something?" He then sat down and raised his right leg, scratching at an irritating itch that was set behind his horns, also brushing off a cloud of dirt off him.

Ignitus noticed the dirt on Spyro and chuckled warmly to him, "Well, young dragon, I think it would be most best that you would take a bath." He guestered to the nearby room with a wing.

Spyro followed Ignitus' guesture and looked towards the room, seeing several pools of water suited for cleaning and bathing within it. Smiling, the purple dragon made his way towards bath room and went inside to clean himself off...

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Several minutes later...

Spyro stood at the end of the hallway, this time, his scales were pure purple with no signs of dirt or dust on him. Again, he awaited for Cynder's arrival to see if he was worthy of being her true love.

Again, Cynder emerged from the other side of the hallway before her eyes caught sight of Spyro standing in the opposite corridor. She gazed upon the purple dragon's now clean scales and shiny new armor for a few moments. Spyro suddenly coughed out a bubble of soap, blinking with disbelief before smiling at Cynder. However, she wasn't interested now in Spyro's cleanliness nor the new armor he was wearing and turned away, walking down the hallway away from the purple dragon.

"Hnn..." Spyro groaned, as he watched Cynder disappear again, "That didn't work either..." He then perked up when he got an idea, "Unless..." The purple dragon turned and began running through the corridors, scurrying past Ignitus, and exiting the main entrance of the Dragon Temple to the garden.

Outside in the gardens, Spyro bashed and struck at a red cluster of gems with his melee combo moves, eventually causing the cluster to spill out red shards. "Cynder will definitely love this." He said to himself, before he picked up the red gem with his mouth and scurried back towards the temple as fast as he could.

Once again, Spyro at the end of the hallway, waiting for Cynder to appear. With his scales clean, his armor set on his body, and the red shard as a perfect gift, the purple dragon was now certain that Cynder would like him.

And for the fourth time, Cynder appeared from one of the hallways, minding her own business as usual. She looked upon Spyro again and then noticed the red gem shard lying at his feet, seeing it as a gift for her.

The black dragoness looked back to Spyro, then turned her head and looked towards Ignitus, seeing how old and depressed he was, envious of the gift Spyro was offering to Cynder. The great Fire Guardian sighed deeply and lowered his head to the floor of the hallway as he watched Spyro and Cynder from a distance, allowing his old bones to rest from sitting up for too long.

Cynder then looked back to Spyro and closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly before walking away again, still not interested in Spyro.

Spyro lowered his head slightly after Cynder started to walk away, realizing that there was no way to win Cynder's heart. He closed his eyes sadly to the floor as he sighed deeply; no matter how hard he tried, Spyro can't get Cynder to like him. The purple dragon lifted his head and looked back to Ignitus, seeing how depressed and old he was.

"Wait a minute..." Spyro muttered, as an idea appeared in his head and picked up the red gem shard with his mouth before he made his way back towards Ignitus. Once he reached the Fire Guardian, Spyro lowered his head and set the red shard to Ignitus before looking up to his mentor to see his reaction.

Ignitus lifted his head up from the floor and was surprised at Spyro's offering, looking to the purple dragon. "Spyro...this treasured gift...I thought..." He managed.

"It doesn't matter..." Spyro responded with a shake of his head and a smile, "If Cynder doesn't like it, I'll give this gem to you. You need it more than me."

Cynder stopped in her tracks when she listened to the conversation that took place a few feet behind her, then turned her head to Spyro and saw him giving the red shard that was meant for the black dragoness to Ignitus. At that moment, the black dragoness' eyes twinkled, fascinated at Spyro's compassionate and generous attitude to Ignitus, her tail swaying gracefully behind her.

Ignitus looked behind Spyro and noticed Cynder was looking at the purple dragon in a loving gaze. The great Fire Guardian smiled warmly to her, then looked back down to Spyro. "I believe someone is waiting for you, Spyro." He said,

"Huh?" Spyro muttered, tilting his head slightly. He then turned his head back and saw Cynder staring at him from a distance, her eyes still twinkling. Realizing why Cynder was staring at him lovingly, Spyro smiled widely and quickly ran towards Cynder through the hallway until he finally reached her down the corridor.

From a distance, Ignitus could only smile proudly as the two young dragons started nuzzling each other affectionately by nose-to-nose until they were ultimately meant for each other. Spyro and Cynder then turned and walked down the hallway together, smiling and laughing at their dicussions and happy conversations until they disappeared into another room.

Even though Spyro wears armor, had his scales sparkling clean, and brought a nice gift just for Cynder, it's what _inside_ that counts that brought two special dragons together.


End file.
